Luke 23:32- 38
History records famous speeches. In our American history, we may have heard of Patrick Henry’s words, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Captain James Lawrence, during the War of 1812, “Don’t give up the ship.” We probably remember the famous words of President Abraham Lincoln, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation ….” And, of course, the stirring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “I have a dream….” These words inspire us today. The words Jesus speaks have the power to change us.
As Jesus and the wooden cross on which he hangs is lifted up and set into place and after the first wave of searing pain passes, Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Or, maybe he spoke these words as soldiers were placing a nail perpendicular to his hand and preparing to drive the nail through his skin and bones that Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” His words reveal Jesus’ inner person. To be in such agony and yet to forgive the people who cause such pain, is … well, there are no words. We can but shake our heads in the wonder of it, in the total grace of forgiveness.
Jesus’ word forgiving others is even more powerful when we read of the scene surrounding him. Two others are put to death with Jesus, labeled as criminals. They too, hang on crosses; and Jesus is placed in between them. Right in the middle of the criminals. This is surely no accident. The placement of the crosses publicizes that Jesus is where he should be, with criminals guilty of the sentence of death. He’s not on the left, he’s not on the right, but square in the middle, as if he is the chief criminal. In people’s minds, he’s painted with an orange jump suit with his prisoner number stenciled in black for all to see.
The soldiers fix him to the cross, raise it, then stand their guard watch as they are ordered to do. They end up dividing his garments among them, making a little game of it, casting lots, a game of chance, to see who gets his sandals, who gets his over cloak; like rats tussling for crusts of bread by the outside corner of a alley dumpster.
The religious rulers come along for the ride, apparently to make it as painful and humiliating as they can for Jesus. They say, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” They say it with a smile – as they look upon the sagging body of Jesus, gasping to catch a breath, seeing in his bulging eyes the death struggle, no different from any other human they have seen crucified. Out loud they say, “And he thought he was special to God. You,” they now address the crowd, “Some of you thought of him as the Chosen One of God; this, this pathetic piece of … He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Chosen One of God. Oh, no rescue for this one? Doesn’t seem as if God much care for him, does it?”
The soldiers take up the same mocking. They offer him, not wine, to dull the senses, but bitter vinegar which only increases thirst. “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” This ends will loud laughter and guffawing. One soldier punches the other and both laugh. It’s a joke. Jesus is looked upon as a joke.
And, at the top of the cross, there is a sign stuck in the wood. The words of the sign are translated in this exact order, “The King of the Jews this one is.” Underneath the sign hangs a sagging, gasping for breath, body racked with pain Jewish peasant. No majestic purple robe on him, showing royalty. No expensive ring on his finger showing his high office kingship, no royal crown on his brow, except maybe still the crown of thorns crammed down into his head.
One final humiliation. Almost certainly, Jesus hangs on the cross naked. This is what happened historically to those who were crucified. The fact that the soldiers divided up his garments lends support to the view that Jesus is stripped of all his clothing. There he hangs, nude. Artists who paint this scene, whether in the first centuries and right up to the present put some kind of cover around Jesus’ middle, whether it’s a painting or a sculpture. No one shows the nakedness of Jesus, as if that is too great a humiliation for us to see. Even the artists choose not to show it. But, Jesus was bare, and, so, this note is included in the description, “And the people stood by, watching….” They saw Jesus, and Jesus was exposed for all to see.
Oh, the shame and the humiliation and we would lash out in anger and utter humiliation, for we would have nothing else we could do, and then we would probably cry, if we could. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” How is it even possible to think such words in that situation? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The soldiers knew what they were doing all right, crucifying a man, but they chose to remain blind to God.
We, too, more than we would like to admit, choose to remain blind to God. We go about our lives and our tasks and our work and wall ourselves off from God. We choose not to admit God in. As Isaiah the prophet describes it, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we all have turned to his or her own way,” and yet, despite it all, “The Lord has laid on him, the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
The wonder of God’s forgiveness of us all, the sheer open-handed grace of mercy and compassion and tender love for us all. May this time of worship be one of sheer amazement at what Jesus has done for us. May Jesus’ words, “Forgive them….” fuel our willing response of loving obedience to the Heavenly Father and so join that of Jesus, the Christ of God, his Chosen One. Amen.